I am the black sheep of the herd

[lizardbeth]

Scattered bits because I have the attention span of a gnat on meth:

Criminal Minds: Exit Wounds
Garcia just said 'frak'. *loves*
And I loved that ending.

Alas, ABC, Happy Town is boring, not interesting. Sam Neill almost saves it by being creepy, but not enough.

I'm also apparently an outlier for LOST last night. Everyone else is all HATEY MCHATEY STABBY STAB. um, what? Never mind, I'll just be over here where I'm sure I'll be the only one who won't hate the finale, too, since it's kind of hitting ALL my narrative obsessions. All at once.



I liked it. I didn't love it, but I liked it, and I think it was important and useful. I'm glad no more losties died. I liked getting to see the origin story. I like knowing that yes, both Jacob and MIB started out as people with a Bad Parent (tm). I liked they played senet (I have characters play senet in my SG-1 fics all the time, so it was nice to see it come up again). I LOVED the golden light. (okay it was a bit cheesy, but there's really no getting around that. And the stream was lovely on its own) Loved the kids who were, like,perfectly small versions of their grown up selves. I also just LOVE LOVE Jacob and MIB-Titus-Welliver-meatsuit version,so yes, I was predisposed.

And I LOVE the implication that this shit has been going on FOREVER. Jacob's been the protector for 2000 years. that's a long fucking time doing a job that you got by default.

I'm also not bothered that MIB doesn't have a name. It'd be nice just to have a name everyone AGREES on to talk about him. But, meta wise? I'm fine without it.

I'm perplexed that people thought there was going to be "an answer" that didn't boil down to magic, though. Because even if you toss bullshit technobabble at it, IT'S STILL MAGIC. It reminds me of the people who think their convoluted four-page explanation, involving secret cloning projects, time travel, wormholes, and relativity, somehow is a better answer to Kara Thrace than MAGIC. Pseudo-science is still magic. Putting the whatchamacallit in the electromagnetism time-travel doohickey? STILL MAGIC. So whether you call it a well of souls/Light of Good and Evil or the Hole of Cosmic Electromagnetic Flux Capacitors really doesn't matter. The idea is that it is awesome and inexplicable. And because it is awesome, people want it, and because they want it, the protector of the Island ends up killing people.

btw, John Locke LOOKED INTO THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LIGHT EVER. In the first season. Just sayin.

and also? their clothes didn't age. Mother's dress was exactly the same thirty years later. And I'm pretty sure Jacob's outfit is the same one he died in. Just thought I should point that out, after seeing people bitch about Jack's line about "Adam and Eve". Oh, and Richard's clothes are also apparently ageless and repel dirt magically as well.

Anyway, ultimately I believe people are putting far too much pressure on the destination. For me, this show isn't ABOUT the destination. the show IS the questions. All this fear that the finale can't answer all the questions I just stare at, kind of goggle-eyed and wonder what show people were watching. I knew a loooooong time ago that it can't. and it won't. And I'm fine with that, because some of these questions are not resolvable. Ultimately neither faith nor reason can be the answer alone - in the hands of human beings, both can be unwise and lead to destruction.

I thought it was important and vital that we KNOW beyond any doubt that both Jacob and MIB started out as human beings with human motives and desires. They aren't meant to be the epitome of good and evil or some such dichotomy -- one undertook a duty he knows he wasn't even first choice for, because he was the only one left; and one died, trying to escape, feeling betrayed, and opened Pandora's box. Or, I guess, he kicked at it, which made his Mother go all Stabby, so MIB went all Stabby in retaliation, and then Jacob went all Stabby. HE was the one who opened the box and created his nemesis.

*sigh*


Clearly if I wrote t.v. shows everyone would think they were the most awesome thing ever for a few seasons and then would get increasingly sure I jumped the shark and then would throw their shoes at the t.v. during the finale. Which gives me a little fear for Black Sails, honestly, because I clearly like what a LOT of people hate. A lot.

So I wrote three K on it today, because I'm stubborn like that. TAKE THAT, HATERS! :P

Comments

[ide-cyan.livejournal.com]

I liked they played senet

Oh THANK YOU!!! I had a notion at the back of my mind about that game from reading books about ancient Egyptians as a kid but I'd completly forgotten about that between people arguing over whether it was closer to chess or backgammon. Thank you for naming that game!

And I also liked the episode quite a bit, as have others on my flist. You're not alone.

I also just LOVE LOVE Jacob and MIB-Titus-Welliver-meatsuit version,so yes, I was predisposed.

That Titus Welliver meatsuit certainly becomes the Man in Black.

I thought it was important and vital that we KNOW beyond any doubt that both Jacob and MIB started out as human beings with human motives and desires.

And yes: so much this.

[lizardbeth-j.livejournal.com]

well, in truth I do know I'm not alone *g*, but it does seem like we are a small group. Or at least the people that hated it are really, really vocal!

I can get not liking it, or not liking certain elements of it, but the sheer rage directed at the episode I find odd. And most of it seems to boil down to this obsessive "answers" thing, which I'm starting to read as a desire to be spoonfed like it's a criminal procedural and not a show that's always been more about the audience putting the pieces together like a puzzle, anyway.

Or the constant criticism about how Darlton are pulling it out of their ass. Which, for one thing, I don't believe. But even if they were, they're fitting it together with the themes and events we've seen all along, so what difference does it make? I just don't get it.

*deep breath* anyway, thanks for letting me know that there are a few others in my little herd! :)

[scifiaddict86.livejournal.com]

I'm not really upset about the magic answer I just don't like that it was so hokey and derivative. Its the terribly Skiffy movie of the week excution of it that bothered me more so than the idea that there is something mysitcal about the island.

[lizardbeth-j.livejournal.com]

thirty seconds of lame CGI aren't enough to write off an entire episode for me. They have lame smoke monsters and lame submarines, too. the FX work has never been particularly stellar. So I don't care about that part. *shrug*

[scifiaddict86.livejournal.com]

it wasn't just the effect though the dialoge and even some of the story seemed less like Lost and more the old Land of the Lost tv show.

[noybusiness.livejournal.com]

It reminds me of the people who think their convoluted four-page explanation, involving secret cloning projects, time travel, wormholes, and relativity, somehow is a better answer to Kara Thrace than MAGIC

Word. I actually saw someone on the Skiffy board who was saying that if Ron Moore wanted to improve the show he would implement said user's outline. One reason I avoid the Skiffy board now. The attitudes.

[lizardbeth-j.livejournal.com]

oh yes, I left the boards ages ago. *shudder*

Just a few crazy people managed to taint the whole thing. I spent half my time cringing at the thought that any cast members looked at it and wishing I could put up a disclaimer that most fans are actually normal people... *sigh*

[noybusiness.livejournal.com]

I've often envisioned being the showrunner of a TV show and having to deal with people's complaints. Often of the http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RealityIsUnrealistic nature.

[lizardbeth-j.livejournal.com]

HA! Glad I've been there recently so I AM NOT TEMPTED into Tropeville today. Phew.

But yes. At least Darlton are used to dealing with it, after all these years. Plus they're both clearly aware of both the Sopranos and BSG finale backlash, so they know it'll happen to them too.

[rose-griffes.livejournal.com]

I had to actively disengage my religious background and remind myself that Jacob isn't God. Once I did that, I decided I liked it. Heh.

In fact, yeah, that ambiguity about Jacob and his morality makes it all the more interesting to me. And I loved a lot of the callbacks to other things we've seen. Though it makes me laugh that the ONLY 'good' (relatively speaking) parent we've seen is sideways-verse Jack.

[lizardbeth-j.livejournal.com]

Admittedly I wouldn't have objected if Jacob had turned out to be Sobek, or something like that, because I like the idea of demigods/angels, too, but I think it makes more sense that he started out human, because otherwise the whole business with the candidates would be harder sell. A human can replace another human. Jack's a good guy and he tries hard, but... divinity? er, no. *g*

Man, I want to write fic for all the missing years of Jacob. *sigh*

LOL, that is so true. Good Daddy Jack -- and only recently at that, given young David's isues with him in the beginning. Though David's mom must be okay since the boy turned out okay, even without Jack around much. DAMN IT SHOW JUST GIVE US JULIET ALREADY. grrr

[cujoy.livejournal.com]

I am totally enjoying being on the outside looking in on this one. I wish the Lost fandom good luck.

And I agree. Magic is a much preferable explanation for Kara Thrace then a Sci-babble explanation.

[lizardbeth-j.livejournal.com]

LOL. I know I've reached my limit with fandom when I stop reading the TWOP forum. I stopped with BSG at Islanded I think. I reach some limit where I simply can't read the same thing over and over again, even if I agree with it, it starts to annoy the crap out of me. And when people are being obtuse, like this one, it's doubly annoying. So I got to page sixteen or something for the last ep of lost, posted my diatribe on Clarke's Third Law and haven't been back.

But the backlash is gonna be Sopranos+BSG levels of huge. I don't even think it matters what happens at this point, people are so set on being disappointed.

Should be entertaining from the sidelines, at least! :)